City of Albuquerque Hosts Third Annual One Albuquerque: Youth Job & Volunteer Fair

Feb. 6, 2021

Today, Mayor Tim Keller’s One Albuquerque: Youth Connect hosted the third annual One ABQ: Youth Job and Volunteer Fair, taking the fair virtual for the first time. This year, participants 14 to 25 years old had online access to a fun job placement quiz and mock interviews, live classes on professionalism, and live interview opportunities for City jobs. Nearly 970 youth registered for the virtual fair and took the job placement quiz and 125 participated in Zoom interviews.

“This annual job fair is not only important to helping the City’s youth find employment and learning opportunities, it is critical to helping us staff youth programs—the same programs that throughout the pandemic have offered a lifeline to parents who were essential workers,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “The pandemic may have changed the format of the fair this year, but it has not changed our commitment to supporting families and creating opportunities for youth.”

Before today, participants had been registering for the fair, accessing learning materials, filling out applications, and setting up job interviews. They were also able to take the job placement quiz that helped guide applicants into jobs that best fit their personalities. Videos on how to apply for City positions were provided in English, Spanish, and Swahili, created by Together for Brothers, in partnership with the City.

Today, Youth Connect hosted live Zoom interviews with applicants and offered opportunities for mock interviews for anyone looking to practice their skills and get feedback.  Live Zoom breakout sessions covered drug testing policies, professionalism in the workplace, using Workforce Solutions career exploration tools, and money management.

“We have been able to successfully pivot so many of our youth programs and events since the beginning of the pandemic, and we knew we could find a way to still hold this important job fair,” said Family and Community Services Division Director Cristin Chavez-Smith. “We were able to continue reaching youth from all backgrounds to offer the benefits of the past job fairs, now with some new extras like the job placement quiz.”

This year’s virtual job fair attracted a diverse group of youth from across the City. Approximately 54% of registrants identified as Hispanic or Latino, 18% as white or Caucasian, 8% as Native American, 4% as Black or African American, 2% as Asian, and 10% as two or more races. In addition, 58% of the youth identified as female, 38% as male and about 1.5% as non-binary.

In order to help close the gap in internet access, the City has offered free, outdoor hotspots across Albuquerque. Visit cabq.gov/wifi to view locations with “WiFi on Wheels,” “WiFi in Neighborhoods,” and “WiFi in Parks” programs providing  internet access with mobile WiFi units at APS schools and outside of City facilities in addition to Albuquerque Housing Authority neighborhoods and select public parks in areas of particular digital need. In addition, the City released a series of instructional videos to help youth connect to the City’s free WiFi hotspots that are available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, and Vietnamese—the most-spoken languages in Albuquerque, based on the lasts U.S. Census data. Find the videos on the Office of Equity and Inclusion’s website, the City’s YouTube page, and on Gov TV.  

In order to address the need for transportation to get to work and school, the City announced this week that City bus fares will be free for all students under 25.

Since the beginning of his administration, Mayor Keller has led an expansion of youth programming, including youth hires and volunteers at the City. Although the public health emergency shifted many things in 2020, the City continued to step up for families and essential workers by offering 42 in-person programs with 59,460 participants at 202 sites and 28 virtual programs with 18,119 participants. During the summer of 2020, the City hired 875 youth staff and offered 130 internships.

Learn more about this year’s Youth and Volunteer Job Fair at cabq.gov/jobfair.